Method of and machine for stacking and compacting folded plies of paper web



0a. 3, 1944. L T HAND 2,359,417

METHOD 0F AND MACHINE FOR STACKING AND COMPACTING FOLDED PLIESOF PAPERNEB 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed March 2, 1945 JNVENTQR. Zes/g? ffaud ETTNEYL. Y. METHODOF AND MACHINE FOR STACKING AND COMPACTING FOLDED'PLIES OFPAPER WEB A l Filed March 2, 1945 4 ShGetSI-Sheet 5 oct.3,1944. T'HAND2,359,417

IN VEN TOR.

l Ochs, 1944. HAND 2,359,417

L. T. METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR STACKING AND COMPACTING J FOLDED PLIESOF PAPER WEB Filed March 2, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Il ,el .e4 79 /67 66sa l 766550 @2% g I Y 6? 75 l 165 MRE-TTT ,i -70 l 1 r JNVENToR.

Zes/fe 'and BY /TTUIPNEY Patented Oct. 3, 1944 ME'IHD OF AND MACHINE FORSTACKING AND COMPACTING FOLDED PLIES OF PA- PER WEB Le'slie T. Hand,Brooklyn, N. Y., assigner to Morsegraph,` Inc., New York, N. YJ, acorporation of New York Application March 2, 1943, Serial No. 477,700

Claims.

This invention relates to machines for folding, stacking and compactingwebs of paper as for use in providing strips or tapes to be employed intelegraphic recording instruments, teletypewriters and the like, amachine of this character being described and illustrated in my PatentNo. 1,985,676, and my present improvement being directed to meanswhereby the compacting and stacking of the paper folds is effected moreeiliciently and expeditiously than has been possible with theinstrumentalities previously employed. My present improvement is alsoapplicable to the production of zig-zag or fan fold paper as was themachine of Patent No. 1,985,676.

In my earlier Patent No. 1,985,676 rotating helicoidal members wereemployed to engage -the falling paper folds and to compact them, insuccession, upon the stack created thereby. This operation has beenquite successful and in commercial usage for a number of years. Now,however, it has become desirable to increase the output 0f the machineby'reason of the greater demand for the product and it is to meet thisdemand that my present improvement has been devised and developed.

When increasing the output or operating the machine at a higher rate ofspeed, the rotation of the helicoidal members in frictional contact withthe top fold of the resultant stack causes static electrical and otherinterfering forces which necessitated further invention.

As the interfering forces above referred to were the result of pressureof the top of the folded stack against the under surface of therevolving helicoidal members, my present improvement involved theinvention of means to reduce this pressure.

The present machine, like that of Patent No. 1,985,676, has webindenting means that enable the web to fall in folds upon a table onwhich a stack is formed, and it also employs helicoidal devices forguiding and compacting the folds upon the stack, but now, in addition tothese guiding and compacting means I employy means to reduce thepressure between the top fold of the stack and the ultimate compactingmeans, that is,fthe helicoidal members or compacting lingers.

'I'his pressure reducing means occurs: (l) through sets of cam operatedfingers, or (2) through divided and hinged sections of the table onwhich the folds are stacked, and (3) through a combination of the camoperated fingers and the hinged table sections.

'Ihere are two sets of cam operated fingers, of which one set engagesthe folds leaving the helicoidal members to move said folds toward thestack, and another set of these fingers then firmly compacts the foldsupon the stack far more efficiently than occurs when the helicoidalmembers alone performed the compacting operation.

Other features and advantages of my invention will hereinafter appear.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved machine, showing the framesupporting the web feed means, the fold receiving table, the guide meansand the compacting means.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of my improved machine to show the pressurereducing means through dividing and hinging sections of the table onwhich the folds are stacked.

The frame of the machine is composed of the uprights I, base 2 and topmembers 3. Also there are transverse beams 4 and 5 extended between theuprights I.

Mounted upon upper beams 4 are bearings 6 in which is journalled a shaft'I carrying a pulley 8 that is driven by a belt 9 emanating from asuitable source of power (not shown). Rollers I0 and II are mounted onshafts I2, I3, respectively, said shafts being journalled in bearingsI4, and I4 secured on beams 4 and said rollers are peripherally disposedin juxtaposed position and carry gears I5 that are intermeshed. The gearof roller II is shown to be in mesh with a pinion I6 on the pulley shaft'I, the rollers I0, II thus being caused t-o rotate in oppositedirections.

A web of paper, indicated at II, which emanates from a suitable supplysource (not herein shown), is caused to pass between a pair of rollersI8, I9, mounted on shafts 2U, respectively, said shafts being journalledin bearing members 2| that are secured on top of the frame members 3.The degree of pressure under which the rollers I8, I9 contact the web I'I is governed by adjustment means 22. Also the degree of pressure underwhich the rollers I0, I I contact the web I1 is governed by adjustmentmeans 23, operating with respect to bearing members I4, for whichpurpose said bearing members are slidably mounted on beam 4.

The web I'I, leaving rollers I0, II, is caused to fall upon a table 24,being guided thereto in a manner to be described hereinafter.

Table 24 is upwardly conveXed so that the stack Aof paper web fallingthereon will not assume a.

concave surface curvature, as set forth in my earlier Patent No.1,985,676.

The paper web Il, in passing between rollers I0, I I is creased, as bythe indenting means, indicated at 25, similar to the indenting means ofmy said earlier patent, to thus be caused to fall in folds upon thetable. The helicoidal members 26 for lightly compressing the folds ofpaper are mounted on vertical shafts 21, which are operatively connectedrespectively to the horizontal shafts 30 by bevel gears 28 and 29. Theshafts 30 are operatively connected respectively to the roller shafts I2and I3 by chains 3I which extend about sprockets 32 on rollers I2 andI3, about sprockets 33 on shafts 30 and about idler sprockets 34 lonshafts 35. In this manner the helicoidal members 26 are driven by and intimed relation with the creasing rollers I9 and I I.

These helicoidal members serve to guide and compact the falling paperweb in folds or plies on to the table, where they are to be furthercompacted by the following means: Slidable in guides 36, that aresecured to the beams 5, are bars 3l 'which carry hinged fingers 38, 39,whose hinges are shown at 49. These lingers are in two pairs located ateach side f the paper stack, the fingers 38 having as their function theact of engaging the paper plies when leaving the helicoidal members anddirecting the plies down t0- ward the forming stack, while the functionof the fingers 39 is to take over when the fingers 38 have performedtheir function and to firmly press the folds of the paper against thetop of the stack. By this compacting means not only is the machine ableto operate at much greater speed than heretofore but also the compactingelliciency is much enhanced.

The operating means for fingers 38, 39 are as follows:

Shaft 36 also carries a sprocket wheel 4I and a sprocket chain 42engages wheel 4I with a sprocket wheel 43 that is carried by a shaft 44which is journalled in a bearing member 45 secured to a frame member I.Chain 42 also engages an intermediary sprocket wheel 46 that is carriedby a shaft 41 journalled in a bearing member secured to a frame memberI. It will be appreciated that these instrumentalities are duplicated,in pairs, at opposite sides of the paper stack. Each shaft 44 alsocarries a pair of cams 49, I), and push rods 5I 52, each slidable inbearing members 53, lie between respective cams and -fthe lingers 38,39, whereby, in the rotation of shafts 44 said cams, in succession, movethe fingers 38, 39 toward their operative positions as the respectivefinger carrying bars 31 are moved downwardly. Springs 54, respectivelyconnected to a frame portion and connected respectively to spurs 55 onthe fingers 39, 39, serve to retract said ngers from the operativepositions to which they had been moved by the cams. bers, mounted on thebeam 5 by pivot 46 respectively engage the cams 49, 50 by one arm 56,their other arms 5l, which latter are hook shaped at their ends beingadapted to engage projections 58 on the bars 31 to thereby lift saidbars and hence the iingersl 38, 39 by cam action. The tappets areretractable by means of springs X.

Table 24, which is mounted on a frame Vcomposed of the vertical members59 and horizontal members 60, is raised and lowered by chains 6I,secured by frame members 69, and passed over upper and lower sprocketwheels 62, 63 which are respectively mounted on shafts 64, 65, shaft 64being journalled in bearings 66 secured to beam 5 Tappet mem- Y andshaft 65 having bearings secured to base member 2.

As the stack of paper plies increases in height so, in order to add tothe table capacity and at the same time permit the stack compacting tobe carried on with the highest efficiency, the table is loweredsynchronously with the fold deliveries and thus with the stack foldadditions. To this end the shaft 64, whose rotation causes the loweringof the table, carries a worm gear 61, which meshes with a worm threadedmember 68 that is mounted on a shaft 69, journalled in the frame, saidshaft 69 carrying a ratchet wheel 10 that, in its rotation, causes thethreaded member 68 to rotate shaft 64. The ratchet wheel 19 is rotated,in step by step movement, by means of a dog 1I, pivoted to an arm 12which in turn is pivotally connected, at 13, to a pitman 14 which, at 15is pivoted to sprocket wheel 46, in eccentric relation to pivot 4l.Thus, with each revolution of sprocket wheel 41 ratchet wheel 10 ismoved one tooth or step, and this movement is communicated to sprocketchains 6I by shaft 64 and hence to the table.

In the example of my invention illustrated in Figure 5, table 24 is seento be supported by horizontal member 60, but in place of the verticalmembers 59 there is provided a threaded vertical member 16 that extendsthrough a threaded nut 11 which is xedly mounted on horizontal member66. On the lower end of threaded vertical member 16 is a wheel 18, andon the upper end is a thrust bearing 19. The table 24 is broken at 89and fastened together with hinges 8l. As the table 24, supported byhorizontal member 60, is lowered as previously described, wheel 18 isturned manually or by a synchronous motor (not shown) so that bearing 19is moved upwardly in relation to horizontal member 60 but at a slower Yrate than the table 24 and horizontal member 60 are being lowered byratchet 'I|J. As the threaded vertical member 16 is turned by wheel 18through xed nut 11, the outer portions of table 24, hinged at 89, movetoward each other, thereby relieving the pressure of the top of thestack against the rotating under surface of helicoidal members 26. Theouter portions of the table 24 are terminally supported by wheels 82journalled in bearings 83 which are fastened to the outer portions ofthe table 24. The wheels 82 roll freely on rail 84.

A combination of means shown in Figures l and 5 causes the reduction ofpressure against the cam operated fingers 39, which fingers firmly pressthe folds of the paper against the top of the stack.

The use of the means shown in Figure 1; the use of the means shown inFigure 5, and the use of the combination of these means is dictated bythe thickness and the character of the paper to be folded and stacked.

Variations within the spirit and scope of my invention are equallyIcomprehended by the foregoing disclosure.

I claim: Y

l. The method of folding and stacking paper which comprises indenting aweb of paper to form folded plies therein, guiding the folds in zigzagmanner toward a support, lightly compacting said folds in a stack on thesupport, subsequently applying further compacting pressure to the stackwith the addition of each fold in a continuous operation and raising themiddle of the bottom of the stack with respect to the ends of the bottomthereof as the height of the stack increases.

2. I'he method of folding and stacking paper which comprises indenting aweb of paper to form folded plies therein, guiding the folds in zigzagmanner toward a support, compacting said folds in a stack on the supportand raising the middle of the upper part of the support with respect tothe ends of the upper part thereof as the height of the stack increasesto compensate for the increased height of the stack at the folded endsof the plies.

3. The method o-f folding and stacking paper which comprises creasing acontinuous uninterrupted web of paper on unperforated lines to formfolded plies therein, guiding the folds in zigzag mannerv toward asupport, compacting said folds in a stack on the support and decreasingthe transverse curvature of the top fol-d of the stack occasioned by thegreater thickness of paper at the folded edge by raising the middle partof the support with'respect to the sides of the support.

4. In a machine for delivering a web of indented paper in folded eplies,a convex table to receive said plies in a stack thereof, means forguiding the fol-ds in their passage, a set of fingers to engaginglydirect the folds toward the table, another set of fingers to press thefolds compactly in stack form, respective cams, retractile tappets andpush rods to actuate said sets of fingers in succession, means foroperating said cams, tappets and push rods, and means for raising themiddle of the table with respect to the sides thereof as the height ofthe stack increases.

5. In a machine for delivering a web of indented paper in folded plies,a convex table to receive said plies in a stack thereof, means forguiding the folds to and compacting them on the stack, said table havingtwo hinged portions, a vertically movable support for said table, athreaded member centrally connecting said table with said support, andmeans for depressing said support with the increase in height of thestack, said threaded member serving to raise the table centrally, withrelation to said support, while its hinged portions converge downwardlyto relieve the pressure exerted on the topmost fold.

6. In a machine for delivering a web o-f indented epaper in folded plieson a stack the combination of a support having an upper surface forreceiving the stack and means for raising the middle of the uppersurface of the support with respect to the ends thereof as the height ofthe stack thereon increases.

7. In a machine for delivering a web of indented paper in folded plieson a stack, the cornbination of a support having an upper surface forreceiving the stack, means for lightly compacting the folds at the endsof the stack, means for further compacting said folds at the ends of thestack and means for changing the curvature of the upper surface of thesupport to raise the centre thereof with respect to the ends as theheight of the stack increases.

8. The method of folding and stacking paper, which comprises indenting aweb of paper to form folded plies therein, delivering the folds in azigzag manner to a support and raising the middle of the upper part ofthe support with respect to the ends thereof as the height of the stackthereon increases.

9. In a machine for delivering a web of indented paper in folded plies,a table to receive said plies in a stack thereof, a set of fingers forpressing the folds compactly in stack form, means including a cam forreciprocating said fingers vertically and for moving the upper ends ofthe iingers laterally for effective operation thereof.

10. In a machine for delivering a web of indented paper in folded plies,a table to receive said :plies in a stack thereof, a set of fingers forpressing the folds compactly in stack form, means including a cam forreciprocating said fingers vertically and means including a cam formoving the upper ends of the fingers laterally for effective operationthereof.

ll. In a machine for delivering a web of indented paper in folded plies,a support fo-r receiving said plies in a stack thereof, reciprocablemembers, fingers hinged to said reciprocable members for engaging andcompacting the folded edges of said plies, means for reciprocating saidfirst-mentioned members in a direction perpendicular to the plies of thestack and means for swinging said fingers into and out of effectiveposition with respect to the stack.

12. In a machine for delivering a web of indented paper in folded plies,a support for receiving said plies in a stack thereof, reciprocablemembers, fingers hinged to said reciprocable members for engaging andcompacting the folded edges of said plies, cam means for reciprocatingsaid first-mentioned members in a direction perpendicular to the pliesof the stack and cam means for swinging said fingers into and out ofeffective position with respect to the stack.

13. In a machine for delivering a web of indented paper in folded plies,a table to receive said plies in a stack thereof, a set of fingers forengaging and compacting the folds, means for reciprocating said fingersin a direction substantially perpendicular to the plane of the plies 0nthe stack, said means ibeing adapted to supply a substantially greaterforce to certain of said fingers than to others, whereby certain fingershaving the lesser force applied guide and hold the plies in position andother fingers having a greater force applied compact them.

14. The method of folding and stacking paper, which comprises indentinga web of paper to form folded plies therein, delivering the folds in azigzag manner to a support having a raised middle portion, stacking thepaper on said support and applying pressure at the folded edges of theplies as the height of the stack increases to draw the plies down overthe raised portion to limit the curvature at the top of the stack.

15. In a machine for delivering a web of indented paper in folded plieson a stack, the combination of a support having a middle portionsubstantially higher than the side portion thereof, and means forapplying pressure at the folds of the stack as the height of the stackincreases to stretch the plies over the raised middle portion of thesupport to limit the curvature of the upper surface of the stack.

